Free Know Me (DEFIANT Motorcycle Club) by Cora Brent

staring at me with frank curiosity. “Your car is a piece of shit by the way.” 
    “Car?”  I dropped a sudsy sponge in the sink and turned on the tap.  I’d forgotten about the borrowed Corolla.  “Oh yeah.  Well, that’s not exactly my car.”
    “Can’t believe that fucking thing made it all the way out here from what?  San Francisco?”
    “ San Francisco,” I confirmed.  “Where is it anyway?  It hasn’t been in front of Riverbottom since the night I got here.”
    Brandon nodded.  “Yeah, Teague’s got it.”  He had an imposing physique, though not as jaw dropping as Orion’s.   
    I strained to remember what Rachel had told me about Brandon.  Something about the Marines.  Before I could say another word Orion poked his head into the kitchen.  He wasn’t looking for me. 
    “Meeting,” he barked at Brandon.  “And Kira,” he said, already turning away.  “Go to the room and stay there a little while.” 
    I put my hands on my hips, huffy and indignant.  “Are you seriously sending me to my fucking room?”
    Orion’s head swiveled around slowly.  His eyes were as cold as I’d eve r seen them and I shrank back.
    “Yeah,” he said softly.  “So fucking go.” 
    Brandon shot me a quick look which was either sympathy or amusement.  It was hard to tell underneath all that hair.  He followed Orion out to the living room where the men of Defiant waited.  A few of them stared at me as I moved silently past and headed down the hall to the bedroom.  I closed the door, feeling ill at ease. 
    I sat on the edge of the bed, my hands clenched in front of me.  It was probably nothing, just typical business.  I was still smarting from the way Orion had spoken to me but Crest hadn’t allowed any woman, not even me, to linger about when there was serious shit happening. 
    When the door flew open I jumped.  Orion was in a hurry.  He opened a black backpack and began tossing objects into it. 
    “Where are you going?”
    The way he looked at me was as if he’d only just realized I existed.  “There’s some shit that needs tending.”  He started to zip up the backpack.  Apparently that was the only thing he was going to say about the matter. 
    I twirled my hair with a frown.  “So how long will you be gone this time?”
    Orion looked at me for a long moment without blinking.  I looked back at him.  “Until it’s done,” he said in near whisper.  “Teague and Brandon are staying behind.  For the time being I don’t want you to go too far.  Here and Riverbottom and that’s it.”  He thought of something and moved over to the badly dented dresser in the corner of the room.  He rooted around and withdrew an object which he fiddled with for a moment before tossing it on the bed. 
    “Prepaid phone,” he explained.  “It’s got my number programmed in.  Call it only if you need to and no other fucking time.  Otherwise, I’ll see you when I see you.” 
    He shouldered his backpack and began to walk out of the room when I called his named sharply.  Suddenly he dropped the backpack on the floor and crossed the room with one hard stride.  The way his mouth crashed down onto mine reminded me of the fury of our first kiss.  I clung to him this time, trying to pull him closer, feeling the desperation in my own grip. 
    Orion’s hands wound through my hair, yanking me back so hard I cried out a little in pain and surprise.  He stared into my eyes for an intense minute and then he was gone. 
    I sat down, breathing heavily as the bikes fired to life and thundered away towards whatever danger was their destination.  And though I hadn’t cried since the murderous night which changed everything, I cried then. 
    ***
    After spending the evening mooning about the room I was a little weary of my own company.  Early the next morning I banged loudly on Rachel’s door.  She tumbled out of it, cursing, wearing only a bra and pink thong. 
    “Jesus, Kira.” She